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Comparing Bibliometric Analysis Using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Databases
Published on: October 24, 2019
Searching a biomedical bibliographic database from Bulgaria: the ABS database
Akhil Abhijnhan1, Zhenya Surcheva, Judy Wright
1Cochrane Schizophrenia Group, Division of Psychiatry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Health Information and Libraries Journal
|August 24, 2007
Summary
The Bulgarian biomedical database ABS contains unique controlled trials, with 13% discoverable on MEDLINE. This resource enhances access to vital research not easily found elsewhere.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Informatics
- Information Science
- Public Health
Background:
- The University of Sofia, Bulgaria, maintains the online database ABS, providing access to local biomedical literature from 1994 to the present.
- ABS serves as a valuable repository for Bulgarian biomedical research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically search the ABS database for citations.
- To identify controlled trials within the ABS database.
- To determine the proportion of these identified trials that are also indexed in MEDLINE.
Main Methods:
- Searches were conducted using both Bulgarian and English search terms.
- Citations identified as controlled trials were manually selected.
- The presence of these selected citations was verified in the MEDLINE database.
Main Results:
- A total of 628 unique citations were retrieved from ABS.
- 47 citations were identified as potentially relevant controlled trials, yielding a precision of 7.48%.
- 13% of the citations from ABS were found to be indexed in MEDLINE. The trials predominantly focused on cardiovascular or urological conditions.
Conclusions:
- The ABS database represents a significant source of accessible controlled trials.
- Many trials within ABS are not readily available through other major databases like MEDLINE.
- ABS improves discoverability of local biomedical research, particularly in specific clinical areas.

